The director of the Valladolid Film Festival, in response to a letter from the Farabi Cinema Foundation, condemned the U.S.–Zionist attack on Iran and announced that a number of Spain’s cultural, artistic, and academic figures are signing a statement denouncing it.
According to the public relations office of the Farabi Cinema Foundation, following a protest letter sent by Hamed Jafari, Managing Director of the Farabi Cinema Foundation, to several international artists, filmmakers, and cinematic cultural events, alongside individual expressions of support and solidarity with the people of Iran from various figures, José Cabrera—one of the organizers of the Valladolid Festival and a well-known cultural figure in Spain—condemned the aggression by the United States and the Zionist regime and expressed sympathy with the brave people of Iran. He emphasized that Spanish artists, cultural figures, and academics are in the process of signing a statement condemning this aggression and expressing solidarity with the people of Iran.In an email, he further stated that Yorgos Lanthimos, Mike Figgis, and Ben Rivers are among the directors who have joined dozens of artists and academic professionals in signing an open letter that condemns the joint American–Zionist war against Iran and affirms the sovereignty of the Iranian people.They are among the first signatories of a letter that is currently being circulated and signed within filmmaking, cultural, artistic, and academic circles.Parts of this statement, a copy of which has been provided to the Farabi Cinema Foundation:“We, a group of artists, cultural activists, and filmmakers, issue this statement with full awareness of our historical and moral responsibility to unequivocally condemn war, military violence, and all forms of political and military intervention.We clearly and unambiguously declare that the fate, future, and political self-determination of Iran belong exclusively to the people of Iran, and no external power, government, or military alliance has the legitimacy to determine the political, social, or historical path of this land. The right to self-determination is a fundamental and undeniable principle that arises solely from the free and conscious will of every nation.”